?Chapter 380:


    Briggs tensed, concern flickering across his face. Sensing it, Merlin quickly added, “Don’t worry—Elliana will be there too.”


    Still, no father would be entirelyfortable letting his daughter go off somewherete at night—especially with a man he’d just met, no matter how kind the man appeared.


    Briggs hesitated. Merlin’s smile faltered slightly.


    Before Briggs could answer, Hailee stepped in. “It’s okay, Dad. Mr. kely is someone I trust. And I already talked to Elliana about it. You don’t need to worry.”


    Briggs looked at her for a moment and then nodded slowly. He’d always believed in her judgment. “Alright then… I’ll leave her in your hands, Mr. kely,” he said, polite but firm.


    Merlin’s grin returned in full force. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. As long as I’m around, no one’sying a finger on her.”


    With Briggs’ permission secured, Merlin seemed visibly lighter. He finished the rest of his spaghetti in record time and stood up, motioning for Hailee to follow. Together, they headed out of the restaurant.


    At Hailee’s family’s little spaghetti joint, Merlin was on his best behavior. He cleaned his te spotless—every strand of spaghetti, every drop of sauce, even slurping thest bit with a quiet hum. As Merlin walked out with Hailee, he tossed Briggs yet another smile.


    Lucas and the bodyguards watched the whole scene in stunned silence. Never in their lives had they seen Merlin act like this. Polite. Respectful. Almost too humble. The man in front of them was a far cry from the wild, cocky version they knew. It was honestly hard to watch. They’d lost count of how many times Merlin smiled at Briggs. Was he cashing in a lifetime’s worth of smiles all at once? Of course, not that any of them would dare say that out loud. No one wanted to set him off.


    Once outside the cozy restaurant, Hailee slipped into Merlin’s car. They were headed to the Evans family estate.


    The car was a stretched luxury ride with three rows.


    Lucas, ever the discreet one, raised the partitions, cutting Hailee and Merlin off in the middle row.


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    Hailee was already nervous. Now, wrapped in silence, her nerves kicked into overdrive. She sat stiffly, hands curled into gentle fists on herp, eyes locked downward.


    Merlin turned toward her, his gaze roaming over her without restraint. It was their third meeting, and his body reacted before his mind could catch up.


    The first time they met, when she’d bitten his wrist, the overwhelming sensation had caught him off guard.


    The second time, just standing close as they spoke, he had felt dizziness all over him like he had the flu.


    Now, with her beside him and only inches of air between them, he felt all that again—plus a deep, aching thirst. The kind even water couldn’t fix. It was strange. It was maddening. And he was quietly falling apart.


    After watching her for a long second, he licked his dry lips. His voice came out rough. “You seem scared of me.”


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